Thursday, September 27, 2012

The Drive-In Movie

Last night the TV sitcom THE MIDDLE had a segment of going to an old fashion drive-in-theater. I immediately thought of hearing on the news within the past few days of a man in a drive-in theater and had car trouble. He knocked on the window of a nearby car asking for help. Apparently he disturbed a couple having sex and was shot.

Memories of Drive-In theaters:

One time in my teens four or five of my friends crammed themselves into Larry's 57 Ford trunk and I was picked to buy one ticket at the Smyrna Drive-In and drive into the theater, which I did

I parked on the back row and got out of the car and was about to open the trunk to let my friends out and suddenly a bobbing flashlight beam came quickly up to me. A man with an air of authority told me I could not park there, it was the "colored section". I said OK and turned to get back into the car. Then the man added, "You better let those boys out of the trunk before they smother."

Another time, the late Jenkie Latimer and I were sitting in the drive-in watching a movie we had both already seen. We knew a crucial scene was coming up. I suggested that wouldn't it be funny if during a crucial scene someone drove their car down front, turned around and faced the cars and turned on their lights on bright?

The next thing I knew Jenkie was starting his car and down front we went. Jenkie was not generally one who broke rules. I must have been a bad influence on him.

We turned around and Jenkie turned on his bright lights and the horns started honking. We exited the theater very quickly.